Independent 7,079 by Dac

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.

Top clueing from Dac as always. Perhaps a little tougher than is usual for a Wednesday, but it might be just me being slower than usual for a Wednesday.

Across
1 JEST – S[muggled] in JET.
3 HOUSE GUEST – SEGUES “inside” (H + OUT).
10 SECOND-CLASS POST – dd.
11 STORMPROOF – (RM “inside” STOP) + ROOF.
12 LIMA – M1< in LA.
12 REST HOME – ESTH[er] in ROME.
14 FRANC – FRANC[is].
16 PATER – (RE TAP)<.
18 INFORMAL – IN FORM + AL[l].
21 ARMS – ‘ARMS.
22 MAIN COURSE – MAIN + hom. of “coarse”.
24 STAGE DIRECTIONS – (CAST GET INSIDE OR)* &lit.
25 DREARINESS – [m]ARINE in DRESS.
26 STEP – [wa]STE P[roduct].
Down
1 JUST SO – dd. A reference to Kipling’s “Just So Stories”.
2 SUCROSE – OS in SUCRE. Apparently the Sucre is the standard monetary unit of Ecuador.
4 OSCAR NOMINATION – (NOON MAIN ACTOR IS)*.
5 SNAP ONES FINGERS – dd.
6 GASH – dd.
7 EROTICA – (I TORE)< + C + A[wfully].
8 TETRARCH – T + CHARTER*.
9 ANIMATOR – MARTIAN* around O.
14 FAR NORTH – FORTH “engulfs” A RN.
15 UPRAISED – (SURE PAID)*.
17 TIMBALE – (1LB MEAT)*.
19 AIR PORT – AIR PORT.
20 MESSUP – [ti]MES SUP[plement].
23 PEAR – P + EAR.

6 comments on “Independent 7,079 by Dac”

  2. Gash as “surplus to requirements” rang a vague bell. I couldn’t find it in my usual online dictionaries, but there was a dictionary of slang terms that had it. I’ve never heard of the Sucre before – it conjures up images of people paying for things with sugar cubes.

  3. I had always assumed Sucre was related to sugar (as a means of payment) in a similar way to how salary is related to salt. It seems it’s named after a national hero similar to the Venezuelan Bolivar.

  4. Yes, this was good as always from Dac. Thought 4 dn was going to be an actor I’d probably never heard of, as weak on films, so it was nice when I worked it out. The puzzle as a whole I thought was a bit easier than uaual. Thanks for explaining FRANC – I got the answer straight off, but did not see the wordplay.

  5. Thanks for the post on this, and particularly the explanation of SUCROSE. I enjoyed this puzzle a lot – it had that nice level of difficulty for me where each time I had a few moments to look at it, I got a few more clues. It’s very annoying that I forgot about the conference pear though…

  6. Something of a dd in 22a: “main course” could be a sail (taken in when the sea is rough) or part of a meal (taken in = eaten). Surprised no-one else commented on it – or was it too obvious?

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